‘What the hell!’ I exclaimed as I stepped into the house behind him. I almost tripped over Payton’s sports bag in the hallway and that was only the beginning of the wreckage. I’d always prided myself on keeping a neat home, but this place was barely recognisable as anywhere I’d ever lived. There was mess everywhere—shoes and what looked to be dirty clothes strewn on the hallway floor, soft drink cans and empty water bottles, and when I went into the kitchen there were plates stacked in the sink and a carton of milk left open on the bench. Bits of cereal and other near unidentifiable foods were scattered across the benchtop. I lifted the milk to my nose and sniffed—ugh—then immediately went to throw it in the rubbish bin. I opened the cupboard, only to find the bin already overflowing with takeaway containers—I guess Adrian’s resolve to feed everyone properly had crumbled.

I slammed the door shut before Charlie could start on it, then stalked through the rest of the house.

The kids’ rooms both looked like they’d exploded. I couldn’t see the floor in either of them and the stench emanating from Saxon’s bed had me suspecting the sheets hadn’t been changed in weeks. Their bathroom smelled horrendous and it looked like they’d been using paper towels to wipe their butts. Although Adrian had stripped our ‘marital’ bed of his sheets, he hadn’t remade them with mine, which was our deal, and there were two empty beer bottles on his bedside table—so much for not drinking during his weeks. I felt my blood rise to boiling temperature as I went into the ensuite to find toothpaste stains and whiskers in the sink. Ugh. The toilet looked as if it hadn’t been wiped down in the three weeks I’d been away. At least I knew there was no way Adrian could have brought a woman here—no female in their right mind would put up with this—but what the hell had happened to his cleaner?

Whereas a couple of months ago I’d have been smug about the fact that Adrian was clearly struggling to maintain our agreed upon standards and hopeful it would help him see the error of his ways, now it only put me in a mood. Our nest-parenting arrangement wouldn’t work unless we both kept up with our side of the agreement. He couldn’t have women on the side but still expect me to keep house. That was not part of our deal.